By Shamindra Ferdinando Courtesy The Island

February 3, 2020, 10:28 pm

The Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) yesterday said that UNP lawmaker Dr. Harsha de Silva couldn’t absolve himself of the responsibility for the Treasury Bond scams, perpetrated between Feb 2015 and March 2016.

Colombo District MP de Silva had been involved in the UNP defence, both in and outside parliament, and was a member of the foot note-gang that tried to protect bond racketeers.

The SLPP flayed the UNPer at the weekly regular briefing at its Nelum Mawatha Office. SLPP Chairman Prof. G.L. Peiris and State Minister Rohitha Abeygunawardena commented on a range of issues including the forthcoming Geneva sessions, Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa’s proposal to cohabit with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa following the parliamentary polls in April 2020 and the wife of top SriLankan Airlines executive receiving US 2 mn bribe out of promised US 16.84 mn to influence the acquisition of 10 Airbuses and lease four additional aircraft during the Rajapaksa administration.

Former External Affairs Minister Prof. Peiris said that the co-sponsorship of the Geneva resolution was not acceptable to Sri Lanka under any circumstances.

About three hours after the briefing the Attorney General’s Department announced that AG Dappula De Livera instructed the police to obtain warrant to arrest former Sri Lankan Chief Executive Officer Kapila Chandrasena and his wife, Priyanka Niyomali Wijenayake.

Referring to media briefing given by MP de Silva at the Opposition Leader’s Office, on Sunday, Feb 02, Kalutara District MP Abeygunawardena alleged that the UNPer made a high profile bid to distance himself from Treasury bond racketeers, in vain. Lawmaker Abeygunawardena said that MP de Silva was now singing a different tune now.

Lawmaker Abeygunawardena recalled how the Joint Opposition had to plead with TNA leader R. Sampanthan to secure sufficient time to speak in parliament regarding Treasury bond scams et al. The State Minister urged President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to initiate action to track down as to how Treasury bond thieves spent ill-gotten money. The MP raised the question whether funds were spent on election/elections.

At the onset of his briefing, lawmaker Abeygunawardena praised President Gotabaya Rajapaksa for ordering immediate inquiry into alleged bribery case involving top executive of the national carrier and his wife. The MP emphasized that wrongdoers should be punished regardless of their political affiliations. The MP said that identities of those involved in the Sri Lankan case should be revealed.

Responding to a query, MP Abeygunawardena said they did not want to protect anyone. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa promptly ordered an inquiry therefore there was no issue in proceeding with this particular case, the MP said.

The Island sought an explanation from the SLPP as to how those now in power and in the Opposition and vice versa from time to time tackle massive corruption taking under the watch of parliament responsible for financial discipline. State Minister Abeygunawardena acknowledged that though they said the parliament was supreme and responsible for maintaining strict watch on public money, the reality was very different. The MP recalled how the then Premier Wickremesinghe side-stepped issues, particularly the Treasury bond scams raised by the JO in parliament, in some instances by making joke out of it.

Revealing that their parliamentary group had received instructions from both President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa that Ministers should respond to questions raised in parliament, MP Abeygunawardena alleged that the previous administration refused to table free trade agreement with Singapore as well as the agreement on the Hambantota port.

Responding to JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s claim that the US wanted Gotabaya Rajapaksa as the President as Ranil Wickremesinghe couldn’t achieve what the world’s solitary superpower desired, a smiling lawmaker Abeygunawardena said urged the media to inquire into various claims, accusations and allegations made by the JVPer previously.

Commenting on the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Compact, MP Abeygunawardena emphasized that the President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s government wouldn’t do anything inimical to national interests.

Commenting on the ongoing preparations for the parliamentary polls, SLPP Chairman Prof. Peiris threw his weight behind those pushing to contest the poll under the pohottuwa symbol. One-time External Affairs Minister emphasized that it wouldn’t be a prudent move to drop pohottuwa now. The former Law Professor said that the SLFP, too, is on record as having admitted that the symbol as not a big issue.

Both Prof. Peiris and State Minister Abeygunawardena dismissed recent claims that Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and former President and SLFP leader Maithripala Sirisena would function as leaders of the proposed alliance to contest the parliamentary poll. Pointing out that SLPP architect Basil Rajapaksa was back home from the US, lawmaker Abeygunawardena said they were ready to go flat out to secure a two-thirds majority at the next parliamentary poll.

Asked by The Island how President Gotabaya Rajapaksa positioned himself in the SLPP structure as he was not a member of the party though he successfully contested the last presidential poll on the SLPP ticket, lawmaker Abeygunawardena said that for the first time a person who had not served the parliament in any capacity was the President. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa had received massive public mandate and the party received instructions and advice. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa would be on the SLPP stage for the general election, they said. Having examined how the presidential candidates were picked before, the SLPP described the situation as unprecedented.

Lawmaker Abeygunawardena lambasted JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake for urging the electorate to deprive the SLPP of required two-thirds majority. The Kalutara District MP said that the JVP work hard to at least retain the same number of seats in the next parliament without being a nuisance. The JVP group in the current parliament comprised six including two accommodated on the National List.